Whole Foods is selling coconut milk from Thailand, even though PETA Asia investigations have revealed that monkeys in that country are caged, kept in isolation, chained for life, and trained through fear of punishment to pick coconuts.
PETA “monkeys” protested this unethical product-sourcing by dumping humanely picked coconuts outside the Whole Foods store at London’s Piccadilly Circus.
The action follows PETA’s successful campaign targeting HelloFresh, which has now confirmed that Thai coconut milk will be banned from its meal-kit service by this summer.
Forced Monkey Labour in Thailand
Many monkeys used in Thailand’s coconut-picking industry are abducted from their troupes in their natural forest homes when they’re babies. Handlers put metal collars and tethers on them and sometimes remove their canine teeth so they can’t defend themselves.
PETA Asia’s investigative footage https://www.peta.org.uk/blog/whole-foods-coconuts-demo/ shows trainers striking them, dangling them by the neck, and whipping them. Because the industry and the Thai government lie and deceive consumers about their systemic reliance on monkey labour, it’s impossible to guarantee that any coconut milk from Thailand is cruelty-free.
Whole Foods’ Connection to Cruelty
We have advised Whole Foods about Thailand’s appalling forced monkey labour, yet it continues to profit off primates’ suffering by selling Thai coconut milk.
We’re calling on Whole Foods to take suffering off its shelves by selling canned coconut milk only from countries like India, Brazil, and the Philippines, where monkey labour isn’t used.
Please join the campaign and send Whole Foods a message now: